Mini-Vehicle
The Mini Vehicles (or Mini Cars) were Autobots, small, simple, and inexpensive in toy form, who kept their smaller size in their media appearances. Size notwithstanding, many had considerable abilities or armaments, the latter usually built-in, as they usually did not carry guns or fit external launchers.
In 1984, the Mini Vehicles were originally known as Mini Cars. But after that year, non-car toys were added to their subgroup, and so the new, more general term was needed. Mini Vehicles were in production from 1984 to 1986. Many were recolored or remolded from the earlier Microchange line. These generally had deformed proportions in vehicle mode, since in the Microchange backstory they represented robots that became small toy cars.
A popular fan-coined term for the Mini Vehicles is Minibots. Its use has eclipsed both official terms.
